Senpai, I am a man you know
by LittleWonderland
Summary: Unable to stand her fathers oppressive lifestyle, Lucy runs away to escape all the pressure. Desperate and with nowhere else to go she turns up at her kouhai's house. They've know each other for years so it shouldn't be awkward now should it? But he is a man and Lucy is an awfully attractive senapi, something was bound to happen! AU, Rating may change.


**Oh my, I really ought to stop writing new fics, it only makes it harder for me to update all my stories. But I suppose since one of them is just about coming to a close, maybe it's ok for me to post this? Like many of my previous stories, this was an idea that just wouldn't leave me alone, I just had to get it out there.  
Also, this is a rather odd pairing for me. I've never really been a NaLu fan but I guess as the series has gone one I couldn't help myself.  
Anyways, I'll cut the rambling short today and get right to the point!  
Please enjoy~**

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Chapter 1: Runaway

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"Lucy get back here!" Jude Heartfilia's voice boomed and echoed throughout the mansion as his daughter stormed off down the halls towards her room.

Lucy slammed the door so hard the ways shook slightly and pushed her dresser up against it so no one could enter.

She was furious, shaking with rage even. She had had enough. It was too much.

Her father was simply too restricting and oppressive for her to continue living by her side. Since her mother had passed it had been just the two of them and without her, he had become twisted and confining.

Jude had always been obsessed with his work, never really giving his daughter a second glance unless there was an important company meeting coming up. If it was for business he was ridiculously attentive towards her. But not in the loving, caring way she would have liked.

Instead he was rude and critical and constantly demanding the impossible of her.

He refused to let her leave the house for anything other than school, club activities and work. Going out with her friends was out of the question. Birthday parties, social gatherings, even post exam celebrations. He would have none of it. He forced her to maintain her perfect princess image every single second of every single day. If she did something that ever so slightly sullied their families reputation, she was punished. Severely. Her father was not afraid to strike a woman, whether it was his daughter or otherwise. But she had always put up with it for the sake of her deceased mother. She had thought the world of her husband and as such had ushered Lucy into remaining by the man's side as her health declined.

But once her mother was gone, Jude turned into something...inhuman. He was emotionless, lacked any form of sympathy and was incredibly stubborn.

He ensured that his daughter always looked the part of a noble's daughter. Hair, make-up, clothing. It all had to be absolutely on point. He could have no less than perfection in his household. He went to great lengths to maintain their family's reputation. Usually that bothered Lucy immensely, but it had never gone so far as to drive her to this kind of madness before.

He had simply gone too far.

A marriage meeting, at her age, was just ridiculous! There was no way she could allow herself to be married off to some stranger she had never met before. Lucy had always been an independant woman. She hated being pushed around and was incredibly strong mentally. Yet she had always gone along with her father's antics. Yet this was something she just couldn't do for him. She was 17! She had so many years ahead of her before she could even think about marriage!

"Are you insane?!" She had shrieked when he had suggested it.

"You're a noble woman. It's your duty to marry and have kids and improve our family's reputation. What other reason was there for you to be born? If you don't work hard to make us look good then what's the point of you even existing?" He scowled, his harsh words ripping through her, bringing tears to her eyes.

She couldn't even bring herself to say anything, nothing would come out. She was so hurt by his words. She knew he only really used her to get ahead in business. She was there to look pretty, flirt with his colleagues until they decided to do whatever her father asked of them. But she never thought he saw her in this particular light. As an inconvenience who was only there to make him shine brighter. As someone who didn't even have a place in his heart other than for business purposes. Lucy was his daughter. They were blood. And yet she still meant so little to him.

So she grew fed up.

That anger she had been holding in bubbled and boiled until it exploded from her. She screamed furiously and grabbed at the seams of her fancy gown, looked him dead in the eyes and tore through the expensive fabric, leaving her in shredded remains of cloth and a petticoat.

"I can't take it anymore! I hate you, _I hate you, I HATE YOU!_"

That's when she stormed off in a huff. She fled to her room, locked herself in and began to pack her bags. It was too much of a burden to continue living here. She just couldn't cope anymore.

She stuffed her clothes into a suitcase, then more clothes into a duffel bag, along with her toiletries, her school supplies and anything else she deemed necessary. She didn't bother to change her clothes. She was in too much of a hurry. Instead she grabbed a jacket and pulled it on over her petticoat. She had to get out. Now.

She would find somewhere else to go. Move around from each of her friends house's until she could find herself a job and get a more permanent place to stay.

Once she was sure she had all her things, she opened her bedroom window and looked down from the second floor. She dropped her bags over the edge and they landed with a dull thud.

Often she had escaped out this window to go for a walk around the gardens as a sort of soothing ritual. But tonight, no amount of walking was going to calm her down. Perching herself on the window sill, she looked out at the tree she had climbed up and down so many times ever since she was young. This would be the last time she climbed down. Never again would she return to this bedroom, this house, this life.

There was just no way to sit idly by and let him ruin her anymore. She had to get out.

Leaping from the window, she reached out and grabbed a hold of the thick branch above her, the wood groaning a little with her sudden weight. She swung herself up into the tree before moving from branch to branch until she was on solid ground again.

The wind rustled the tree leaves as she looked up to the house that had always been to big for just the two of them. She had never belonged here. It just wasn't how a girl like her was meant to live. Picking up her bags she ran as fast as she could, through the garden, onto the driveway, out of the estate. She kept running, for how long, she didn't know. Until she was in the same neighbourhood as her school. It was a private school filled with rich kids and uptight snobs. It was high class but a step down from her status as a nobleman's daughter.

She pulled out her cellphone, the one her father didn't know she had and dialed her best friend.

_Ring...ring…  
Ring...click._

"Hello?"

"Levy-chan! Hey, it's Lucy!"

"Oh hey Lu-chan, it's a bit late to be calling don't you think?" Her best friend muttered sleepily.

"I know, I know. But dad's suddenly been called away on business and he doesn't want me at home on my own. I was wondering if I could stay with you? Even if it's just for the night." Lucy ran a hand through her thick blonde hair, hoping for a good response.

"Ah...Sorry Lu-chan. I can't. I have my cousins staying with us for the next 2 weeks. Our house is pretty full." Levy told her, apologising over and over.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I'll just ask Erza or someone." She reassured her that she would be ok and hung up the phone.

She dialed more numbers after that but received similar answers every time. No one could put her up, not even one night.

The blonde groaned softly, wondering around the street aimlessly, wondering where she could go. She had a bit of cash on her but not enough to book a hotel for the night. She also had her bank card, but if she used that, her father would know where she was and come take her home.

She sat down on a nearby bench, staring up at the sky. There was no moon tonight but the stars were clearly visible. Their faint light was barely enough to illuminate the street so she used the light of her phone screen to scan the houses nearby. She had no idea where exactly she was. She couldn't see any street signs and everything just looked unfamiliar.

"Looks like I'm sleeping out here tonight…" She muttered to herself, settling herself into the bench, pulling her knees up against her chest, feeling her eyes brimming with tears. She tugged her jacket tightly around her body, trying to keep the cold at bay.

It was cold and Lucy was tired but there was no way she could ever go back home to that man.

Nearby a door swung open and thunked against wall adjacent to the doorframe.

"Ughhh, this stinks!" A young man with pink hair was walking down the stone pathway from his house to the bins sitting on the curb holding a trash bag in one hand and his nose in the other.

He dumped the rubbish in the bins and shivered mildly, rubbing his arms to try and keep warm. Tonight was certainly going to be a cold one!

He turned to walk back inside when he caught sight of a head of blonde hair slumped in a bench.

His childish mind instantly thought "_Dead body!_" and he looked around nervously before slowly walking up to the woman, "_Relax Natsu, it's obviously just another homeless woman asleep on the bench."_ He knew he was over reacting so he called out to her.

"Oi miss, you know you can't sleep out here on these benches. The police do their rounds and will arrest you something if they catch you so I've heard." He warned as he approached her.

She didn't respond, just saw her shoulders tense up from behind.

"I'm not trying to be mean or anything...I just thought you should know." Her whole body seemed to slump at his words. He hated being the one who had to tell her this, he felt so bad about it but she wasn't saying anything to him in response or even acknowledging him and it was kind of frustrating.

"Hey, lady," Natsu was right about to place his hand on her shoulder when she turned around.

Familiar brown eyes were swimming with tears sparkling under the miniscule light of the stars.

"S-Senpai…" He breathed, his hand still hovering in mid air right above her trembling shoulders.

A look of utter shock passed over her face, mirroring Natsu expression almost perfectly.  
Lucy looked away from her kouhai and quickly wiped her tears.

"Ah man, you're not supposed to see your upperclassmen cry like this. I'm sorry." She tried her best to put on a big fake smile to comfort him a little but it didn't seem to be working.

"Senpai, what are you doing out here?" The pinkette inquired, moving round to her side of the bench to get a proper look at her tear-stained face.

The blonde lower her head, "My father's out of town, he sent me here to find a hotel but as I was making my way there this man came out of nowhere and mugged me. He took all the money I had for the hotel and so I've just been wandering around aimlessly for the past hour or so." She lied, feeling a little guilty about doing so but knowing that she couldn't possibly tell him the truth.

Natsu was a sweet kid but he was her underclassman she was meant to be a role model and running away from home wasn't exactly what she would call setting a good example.

"Did you try calling Levy-senpai and the others?"

"Yeah but everyone's busy at the moment or out of town or just doesn't have enough room." She slumped back into the bench again, feeling exhausted and useless.

Her skin prickled with goosebumps and a shiver rippled through her as the cold settled into her bones.

Natsu reached out to put a comforting hand over hers but flinched as his warm hands met her chilled flesh, "Jesus! Senpai you're freezing!" he exclaimed, "Let's get you inside. You can stay at my house tonight." The pinkette picked her bags up from the concrete and began to head towards the house.

"But-" Lucy protested.

"No but's!" Natsu spoke in an authoritative, commanding tone.

She had no choice but to follow him inside, "I thought I was meant to be the senpai here, what's with you bossing me around?" She teased, trying to make light of the situation.

"You're always taking care of me at school Senpai, making sure I stay out of trouble and don't get into fights. You should let me take care of you now that you need help." Natsu placed her stuff down in his room and Lucy felt as though she had no choice but to go with it.  
Natsu moved to the bathroom and ran a bath for her, before basically shoving her inside.

She sighed and let herself sink into the water, reveling in the warmth it spread throughout her body.  
She wasn't quite sure what to think about this situation. It was just plain weird. She had run away from home, almost had to sleep on the street and of all the place, she had ended up in Natsu's street. And by pure coincidence she had ended up staying the night at his house. Moreover, she had lied to him about what had really happened. She could already tell this wasn't going to end well.

When she emerged 20 minutes later, warm and relaxed, the pinkette was setting out bowls of rice and miso soup.

"Sorry I don't have anything else to offer you. This is all I've got food wise at the moment."

"Oh no, rice and miso is fine with me. You didn't have to make me anything though." She smiles nervously and sits down at the table with him.

"Ah, and there's only one bed in the house since I live alone but you can sleep here and I'll have the couch." The pinkette said casually and Lucy almost spat rice everywhere.

She had completely forgotten that Natsu lived alone.

"No, no, don't worry about it. I'll have the couch, I am a guest after all." She felt her cheeks growing a little hot.

"Really, I'm ok, the beds all yours." He assured her.

"Actually…" Lucy's face burned with the embarrassment that she was about to bring on herself, "Would you be able to stay with me...Just for tonight. I'm just really shaken up about everything that's happened." She hated acting so weak in front of Natsu and she knew that she wasn't setting a very good example at the moment but truly, the events of the night had let her upset and vulnerable and she just needed someone to be by her side.

"W-Wha...O-Ok…" He stuttered out, his cheeks turning as pink as his hair, "That's understandable. I'll be by your side all night long." He declared and gave her a toothy grin.

The blonde couldn't help but smile at him. He was simply adorable, just like a little brother!

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Later than night Lucy fell asleep almost instantly. Exhaustion had simply overwhelmed her to the point where she just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.

The pinkette laid beside her in his bed, propped up on one elbow as he used his free hand to run his fingers through her golden locks in a gently, soothing manner.

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**I kinda hate myself for making this new story but I'm also kinda getting into this whole NaLu thing. It is my first NaLu story so I apologise if it's not up to your standards. Also this first chapter was finished sometime after midnight so again, I apologize for anything mistakes I've made.**

**I hope to be updating soon once all my assignments are out of the way. Only got another 3 to go which will be done in under two weeks time. So please just hold on till then ok?  
Thanks for reading! Drop me a review if you feel so inclined.**

**\- LW**

**If you'd like you can read some of my other Fairy Tail stories:** _Pain Can Lead to Love, Have Faith in Me _and _Counting the Stars._


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